Circulating and ventilating electric fan support



May 4, 1954 B. H. JOHNSON CIRCULATING AND VENTILATING ELECTRIC FAN SUPPORT Fiied Jan. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tim. E.

15 l INVENTOR. Ben amm Hdohnson B BY I. My

A7; Arfa/e/vfw May 4, 1954 B. H. JOHNSON CIRCULATING AND VENTILATING ELECTRIC FAN SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1951 v 1 4 1 A l l I I I I l I l I I 1 l 1 x r I v INVENTOR. n am/n H. Johnson W TO/Q/VEYJ Patented May 4, 1 954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULATIN G AND VENTILATIN G ELECTRIC FAN SUPPORT Benjamin H. Johnson, Mason, Ohio, assignor to William W. Welch, Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 18, 1951, Serial No. 206,631

2 Claims. 248-236) bracket rigidly and safely installing the fan at the window so that it can function as a window ventilator or fan.

A specific example of a device embodying the fashion of a portable table or floor fan to circuforegoing is illustrated by the accompanying late the air in a room, or installed in either a drawings, the various figures of which are as folsliding sash or metal casement window in the lows: fashion of a fixed window ventilating fan unit. Figure l is a front view of the fan installed at Another object was to provide a device such as a window. has just been described and which is made sim- Figure 2 is a top view of the shelf. ply enough to be sold at a reasonable selling price Figure 3 is a side view of the fan base and shelf while capable of functioning efficiently and pracwith parts of the latter and the window sill shown tically in either of the types of service indicated. cross-sectionally. In this instance, the fan is These objects are fulfilled by the invention disinstalled at a sliding sash type window. closed hereinafter. Figure 4 is a top view of a portion of the finger Generally speaking, this invention is in the used in the case of a sliding sash type of window. form of an electric fan having a supporting sys- Figure 5 is a top view of a portion of the finger tem including a base having a flat bottom for used in the case of a metal casement window. resting on any flat support such as a table top Figure 6 is a cross-section illustrating the use or the floor, whereby the fan may be used in the 0f the device in the case of a metal casement same manner as any conventional electric fan. window and showing only the parts required to This fan base differs from the usual construcdemonstrate this type of installation. ticn in that it has laterally spaced, outwardly The illustrated device includes an electric fan extending, substantially parallel flanges arranged unit I carried by a yoke 2 with the latter supto extend parallel with the axis of the fan. The ported by a base 3 having a flat bottom 4. Thus, system further includes a shelf having a flat top the illustrated fan may be used in the fashion of constructed for supporting the fan's bottom and a standard circulating fan. provided with laterally spaced, substantially par- The laterally spaced, outwardly extending, suballel channels constructed for slidably receiving stantially parallel flanges 5 are shown as being the flanges of the fan base. At its front end located directly at the bottom level of the base 3 this shelf has a bottom shaped to rest on a winbut so as to not interfere with the latters fiatdow sill, the average window sill being usually bottom characteristic. In the present instance narrower than it is possible to make a fan base the yoke 2 is swiveled on the base 3, but if the for a fan of effective size. The back end of this fan is fixed relative to the base the flanges 5 shelf is constructed to overhang backwardly from preferably should extend parallel to the axis of the inside edge of the window sill. A set of dethe fan. pending fingers are provided for the shelfs front A shelf 6 has a fiat top I constructed for supend, one of these fingers being shaped to engage porting the bottom 4 of the fan base 3. In this the outside edge of a sliding sash window sill, and instance, and also in the case of the bottom of another of the fingers being shaped to engage the the fan base, the fiat support need not literally outside edge of a metal casement window sill. be a smooth plane. For example, the fan base 3 Means are provided for releasably connecting may be in the form of a pressed metal shell with either one of these fingers with the shelfs front its edges defining the fiat bottom, and in the case end, and an arm depends from the bottom of the of the shelf, particularly when it is made of sheet shelf at a location spaced backwardly from its metal, stiffening ribs or the like may be used, fr nt A vi e memberis carried by this arm providing the overall contour is cooperatively flat and works forwardly oppositely toward the finwith the bottom of the fan base. The side edges gers t clamp the opposite edges of a window sill of the shelf 6 provide substantially parallel chantherebetween, nels 8 constructed and arranged to slidably re- A fan embodying these features may be sold ceive the flanges 5 of the fan's base. Either these as a unit system. The user clamps the shelf in flanges or those on the fan base may be made to the window sill by using the one of the fingers depart slightly from an exact parallel relationappropriate t t type of window involved. The ship so that the flanges and channels can be fan may either be used in the usual fashion or wedged slightly to effect a more secure connecslid into the shelf which then functions as a tion. ordinarily, this is unnecessary, the exactly parallel relationship having the advantage that the fan base can always be removed from the shelf with relative ease. When the shelf is made from sheet metal the flanges 8 may be conveniently bent to form from the sheet material.

The front edge of the shelf 6 is provided with a plurality of transverse elongated holes 9 and this edge is furnished with a set of depending fingers. One finger H is-in the form of a relatively simple angle and is provided with partial punches H forming teeth. This finger is intended for use in the case of a sliding sash window having the usual wood surface at the front edge of the window sill into which the teeth may grip. The other finger l2 provides an upstanding extension which then bends forwardly and downwardly to provide a hook effect It which can hook over the metal front edge of a window sill of a metal casement window. In both instances, the finger elements are provided with a plurality of tongues 14 which fit through the holes 9 so that the finger elements may be hooked as desired to the front end of the shelf 6. The finger elements are preferably long enough to extend the complete width of the shelf.

An arm l5 depends from the bottom of the shelf 6 and non-rotatively mounts a nuti6 through which a screw H- is threaded. This screw ll extends toward the front end of the shelf and has a swivel block l8: facing in that direction while its other end is provided with a winged head l9. These elements cooperatively function as a vise means or member in cooperation with which every one of the fingers is used at the front edge of the shelf.

The, device is shown in use in the case of a sliding sash type of window by Figure 3, while Figure 6 shows the use of the device when the finger I2 is substituted for the finger it, this being in the case of a metal casement window application.

The fan may be merchandised as a package including all of the parts disclosed. The user can easily clamp the shelf to the window sill of either a sliding sash or metal casement window, by using the appropriate one of the fingers shown by Figures 4 and 5. The application of the shelf is simple, the proper one of the fingers being hooked into place at the front edge of the shelf and dropped over the outside edge of the window sill, the winged head IS then being turned so that the window sill is gripped in a vise-like manner. The shelf member then extends. back into the room in the form of a cantilever. In the case of a sliding sash window the teeth I l grip the wood for a more positive application, while in the case of the metal casement window the hook-like member 13 provides a good grip.

With the shelf installed, the user may use the fan as a table or'fioor fan. Whenever desired, the fan may be slid into the shelf so that the fan is securely locked into position at the Window where it can function as a window fan.

Practically all of the parts of this supporting system may be made from sheet metal. In the case of the finger ID, the thinness of such material avoids interference with practically all conventional types of fly screens. The finger l2 may be made to first extend horizontally forwardly and to then rise abruptly so as to pass over the metal casement window sill element and with the fingers generally conforming to the metal frame. Therefore, the usual fiy screens provided for metal casement windows may be used without any difficulty when the device is applied at this type of window.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for supporting an appliance base having a substantially flat bottom surface adapted to rest on a flat support and having laterally-spaced substantially parallel flanges locatedsubstantially at the level of said bottom surface, said apparatus including a substantially flat sheet-like shelf having a substantially fiat top surface adapted to support said bases bottom surface and having laterally-spaced substantially parallel channels constructed and arranged substantially at the level of said top surface to slidingly receive said bases flanges, said shelf having a front end having a substantially flat bottom surface adapted to rest on a window sill and said shelf having a back end extending from said front end so as to overhang backwardly from the inside of the window sill, a depending finger for said shelfs front end and adapted to engage the outside of the window sill, means for releasably fastening said finger to said shelf so that said finger may be substituted by another finger, and clamp means on the bottom of said shell for engaging the inside of the window sill and clamping it between said clamp means and finger.

2. Apparatus for supporting an appliance base having a substantially fiat bottom surface adapted to rest on a fiat support and having laterally-spaced substantially parallel flanges located substantially at the level of said bottom surface, said apparatus including a substantially flat sheet-like shelf having a substantially fiat top surface adapted to support said bases bottom surface and having laterally-spaced substantially parallel channels constructed and arranged substantially at the level of said top surface to slidingly receive said bases flanges, said shelf having a front end having a substantially flat bottom surface adapted to rest on a window sill and said shelf having aback endextending from said front end so as to overhang backwardiy from the inside of the window sill, a depending finger for said shelfs front end and adapted to engage the outside of the window sill, said shelfs front end having at least one hole formed therethrough and said finger having a portion fitting beneath said shelfs front endand having a forwardly pointing tongue removably inserted through said hole to connect said finger with said shelf removably so said finger may be substituted by another finger, an arm depending from said shelfs bottom at a location spaced backward'ly from said shelfs front end, and a screw in screw-threaded engagement with said arm and pointing towards said shelfs frontend to engage the inside of the window sill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .Number Name Date 844,148 Leger Feb. 12, 1907 2,452,950 Morrison Nov. 2, 1948 2,473,731 Shepard June 21, 1949 2,551,157 Price May 1, 1951 

